Broadcast antennas, and related antennas, are commonly used for the transmission of radio signals. Broadcast antennas exist throughout the United States and serve virtually all locations in the United States. Broadcast antennas are used for television transmissions, radio transmissions, cellular telephone transmissions, and a wide variety of other types of transmissions. Typical broadcast antennas have a layer of insulating material extending around an inner conductor. The inner conductor broadcasts the signals so that the signals pass through the insulating material. Typically, the insulating material is fiberglass or similar material.
Throughout the years, the insulating material around the inner conductors will deteriorate by exposure to the elements. Additionally, as the antenna begins to deteriorate, increased power must be applied to the antenna for suitable broadcast. The increase of power to the antenna can result in further deterioration of the insulating material. When the insulating material starts to deteriorate, cracks and other voids will form.
In addition to the deterioration caused by increased power to the antenna, various other factors accelerate the deterioration of the broadcast antenna. For example, many antennas deteriorate and experience degradation of materials by virtue of long-term exposure to ultraviolet radiation, to the corrosive atmospheres of industrial areas, to acid rain, etc. These factors eventually deteriorate the antenna to the extent that replacement is necessary. Whenever replacement is required, a very great expense is experienced by the broadcaster. Many times, small cracks in the material are not sufficiently harmful so as to justify replacement of the antenna. Ideally, broadcasters would be pleased to avoid the expense of antenna replacement for as long as possible.
In the past, various patents have issued for protective coatings relating to antennas. U.S. Pat. No. 3,789,418, issued on Jan. 29, 1974, describes a laminated antenna. The antenna lamination consists of two longitudinally staggered groups of transversely cambered steel strips. These steel strips are disposed in a mirror-inverted arrangement so as to form a biconvex cross section. This covering is intended to provide protection against atmospheric influences, contamination and injuries, and prevents reflections of light. U.S. Pat. No. 3,899,787, issued on Aug. 12, 1975, describes an antenna system in which a coaxial sleeve, approximately a quarter wavelength long, is mounted exteriorly of and is associated with each tubular radiating element inside of the radome for broadbanding the feed-point impedance of the dipole antenna. U.S. Pat. No. 4,377,812, issued on Mar. 22, 1983, to Gobel et al describes a tower or cupola-like covering for the protection of radio or television antennae against weather. This covering is formed from sectional casing in which each section of the casing is attached along its bottom or top edge to a supporting structure. Expansion joints are formed between such edges so as to transmit no supporting forces. This construction eliminates compression or tension forces in the covering which cause damage to such a covering.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a protective covering for broadcast antennas. More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a protective covering that is easy to apply, easy to manufacture, and relatively inexpensive.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a protective sheath for an antenna which serves to temporarily avoid the expense of antenna replacement.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims.